The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-15
THE SOUTH AS IT IS.
A Constitution Correspondent
Travelling Throu Oh Dixie.
ABOUT ALABAMA AND ITS PRODUCTS.

BILOXI, Miss, November g. 1ss7.-TStaft
| Correspondence CONSTITUTION There are a
lot OF ignorant people in the world, who,
when they hear "Mobie plants talked Of
! nave suggested to their minds sort of smooth
INN green shrub, set out along nicely graded
white walks of powdered oyster shells.
Biloxi, the great oyster port of the gulf
coast is reached by rail or sail fifty miles
down the gulf from Mobile
| The town itself is not much TO speak of.
| though the people are proud of its antiouity,its
origin being claimed to ante date that of New
Orleans by some years. In fact an old village
fisherman who was quafiing with an affecta-
ton OF intense delight the sulplurous water of
the artesian well that flows steadily and boldly
every second stream as large as ones arm
told me that Biloxi was really intended TO
have been Mobile. had heard somewhere's
before remark of a similar nature-where-
and finally located it one Sunday afternoon
at the Oconee White springs, in Hall county,
where PRISON Reynolds, an ignorant Hardsheu
OF doubtful orthodoxy made the same remark
to datier young blood from Atlanta, only it
was you aim sayin' of nothing agin that
! Charley, for youns and meuns a come be-
ing mighty nigh daddy and son. for your man.
| my, as likely wench as ever tiitched water
|
| loyin of one another in them days."
| But be that as it may.
| Forty years ago there was not an oyster on
the gulf coast anywhere near Biloxi. The
town itself was rude summer hamlet where
| q few New Orleans families came to spend the
warm months of the year. Today the sound
| and coast are literally swarming with the
| blvalves, and the rude village from its humble
origin has become place Of 2400 souls Man,
| woman and child in Biloxi are engaged in the
| oyster trade, the men doing the rough work
connected with the fishing, boating and drag
gng, the women and children attending to the
| opening and the canning
The gulf coast is twenty miles from Biloxi
| beach, the waters of the Mississippi sound in
| tervening, and the land strip ship island being
| the outer shore. The Biloxi beach is covered
| with small Wharyes, boat houses and piers
and most of the entire business of the coast is
| done here. OF course the preparations re-
| CURED for even an extensive embarkaton in
| the oyster trade are not very elaborate, but of
late years establishments for the steamng of
oysters and their canning have been erected,
| and more employees and better buildings are
| required. 1t is picturesque sight to see tho
Biloxi oyster fleet in motion The boats are
one masted luggers, ranging from two to
| eight tons carrying capacity. When they set
out, the row is long one, the faster craft slow,
| ly forging into lead, all going swiftly
for While they mostly carry but one sail, they
are made for all sorts of weathers and seas.
|
pan out from two to three hundred tubs. The
oyster captain frequently owns the boat con-
| trolling the two OF three men forming the
crew. Others there are who are employed in
various ways; in any one does the compensa-
| ton amount to very much. The fishermen as
a rule work entirely upon their own chance of
profit, they being entirely a distinct class from
the bOatmen. Some of the larger fishermen
have captains whom they supply regularly,
having ready at stated times certain amount
of the oysters. 1t frequently so happens
that q captain whose trade is large
and growing has eight OR a dozen fishermen
working for him. They sell their oysters at so
| much per tub, @ Tub always being in shell, and
| the measure generally -four or similar barrel
sawed equally III two. The best class Of oysters
at the grounds bring from $1.30 to $150 per
| tub. OF course, the price varies according to
the quality, but the quality is generally de-
pendent upon locality so far as the fisherman
is concerned. Often the captain, on his arr-
val at the town, sells out his entire cargo at
from S175 to 1925 per tub, and the price has
been known to be higher He makes large
| profits in other ways; for instance, rarely, If
| ever, does he give the same size tub to the
| dealer as he received from the fisherman, con-
| sequently in one cargo the difference in guam
tity may reach eight tubs. which at a fair
profit, would realize him $500.
The people are simple minded, honest peo-
pie. Though they sell their cargoes every day,
and deal with any and every one, dishonesty
is unknown. One popularity of their dealing
|
A fisherman sets his price on his tubs, if the
| luggerman or captain does not care to take it,
| he says so, and that is the end of the business,
the tub being allowed to wait for the next
boat. Nearly all the people engaged in the
trade at Biloxi and on the coast are foreigners,
and we are so often accustomed to associate
| dishonesty and trickery with this class. Yet
nothing is farther from the truth. The Oldest
| man i'll BilOXi--one who was there before the
| oysters came--told me he had never known of
| on ipo haA OO1 ar1 of lint
The courts have nothing to do with these men;
| they live their simple life, and drink their
abominable drink with colaplacency and
| contentment worthier higher and better
| or sheds on land convenient to the
| fishing grounds, and rarely leave to
visit the town. the lugger boat as it comes for
its load brings them the provender that is their
| daily fare. They drink to some extent, but
| not Unexpectedly, the manner of their life
| and the exposure subsequent thereto making
| this in great measure indispensable. Aus
| TRANS, Hungarians, Greeks, and Italians pre-
| dominate among them.
| All the pierposts about Biloxi are covered
with oysters more than half way up their sides.
| The bivalyes will cling to anything, an old
| shoe, bottle, stick, or plank will in
short time start an oyster bed. At
| ally covered with oysters, some having been
| thrown there because too young, and others
| for good reasons. Year by year these increase
| i'll size and succulency, and frequently some OF
| the finest oysters found are Just on the beach.
The excellence of an oyster depends, by no
means, upon its size. If this were otherwise,
| the Biloxi oyster, the largest to be found,
| would be the very best but its excellence is
altogether the result Of its treatment, and the
| peculiar, yet simple, treatment given them by
| the Biloxi fishermen, accounts for its alleged
| superiority.
Oysters taken from the very same bed differ
| in size and in quality. This is looked after in
| loading the boats, the poorer ones being put in
first, the second best next, leaving the best on
| top ] suppose it will be observed that the
| best in every basket is found ON top-a very
| trite and true observation. The first dealer
| who gets a.chance at the cargo gets frequently
the very best, while the last man gets the
| poorest, but each buyer endeavors to purchase
according to the quality of his custom, and he
will oftentimes refuse at all to buy, for the
| reason that he cannot get what his patrons
| want. 1t so happens that the captain has to
| throw over a large lot, or the fisher at the
| grounds finds on his hands quality he can't
cell He treats these iu1ioia1lxr. faLfng thavn